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Friday, January 31, 2014

Dear Readers,
I'm excited to share a brand new release with you! Author Jenna Jaxon's book Betrayal is out today! The second in a stunning work of emotion, history and story. I can't say enough about how amazing Jenna's series is. Betrayal is going to be another fantastic book in her series!! Check out the details below.

Betrayal

Time
Enough to Love Series

Book
Two

Genre: Historical Romance

Tagline:The
worst betrayals come from within.

Book
Description:

After a night of passion with her
betrothed, Sir Geoffrey Longford, Lady Alyse de Courcy is eagerly looking forward
to her wedding.But when Geoffrey is
forced to marry another, a heartbroken and possibly pregnant Alyse finds
herself in her own private hell. She must either gamble with her reputation or
marry someone she does not love.

A reputed connoisseur of women,
Thomas, Lord Braeton, has dallied with many ladies of King Edward’s court,
although he has favored none.However,
as Geoffrey’s best friend, Thomas has sworn to serve and protect Alyse, an oath
now sorely tested when he agrees to marry her—in name only—to guard her
reputation. Yet, as they grow closer, and Thomas discovers Alyse’s sweet but
spirited nature, he comes to desire a marriage in truth.Can he overcome her memory of Geoffrey or is
Thomas doomed to burn with passion for a woman he can never possess?

If you would like to purchase
the first part of the trilogy, Betrothal, it is available at Amazon and Smashwords

Excerpt #5:

Uncertain how to
distract him from his obvious goal, she strove to reply lightly. “I am sure
whatever they have in the kitchen will be fine.” Her words emerged rather
higher pitched than normal, drawing a laugh from her husband.

“Then I will
send word to say we will be down directly.” He brushed a brief kiss over her
lips and left the bed to don his clothes, giving her a clear look at the
well-muscled back and wonderfully taut buttocks.

Oh yes, she
remembered those.

Her sharp intake
of breath must have reminded him of his nakedness, for he turned his head to
her. “Look your fill, my sweet. Turnabout is fair play.”

The silence grew
while she reasoned out his words. Then her squeal rent the air. “Thomas! You
did not!”

Clad only in his
braies and hose, he turned to face her. “You are quite beautiful, Alyse. All of
you, I might add.” He looked hungrily at her. “I am a man who has had the
pleasure of seeing many women in his life, and I must confess, you are one of
the loveliest. You should not be ashamed to take such a compliment from your
husband.” He winked at her. “Of course, your husband is the only one who will
give you such compliments from now on.” He continued his leisurely dressing.

“I could say the
same thing for you, my dear.” Her words caught Thomas by surprise, as she had
intended, and his brows rose. She sensed his question and hurried to make sure
he understood. “That you too are quite beautiful.” Then a devilish idea took
root. “Unfortunately, I have little experience of other men to judge you by,
which makes my judgment worth much less.” She pretended to think, one finger
propping up her cheek. “Unless, of course, you will allow me to gather some
knowledge of other men’s bodies. If not, I fear I will have to remain a poor
judge of you.”

Thomas’s head
popped through his tunic as she uttered that sentiment. His startled expression
sent Alyse into a fit of laughing. He began to stalk her, a roguish smile
playing about his lips. “You want experience of other men’s bodies while you
have little enough of your own husband’s? Come, sweet goose, let us become
better acquainted.” He leaped for her as she shrieked and dove across the bed.

About
the Author:

Jenna Jaxon is a multi-published
author of historical and contemporary romance.Her historical romance, Only Scandal Will Do, the first in a series of
five interconnecting novels, was released in July 2012. Her contemporary works
include Hog Wild, Almost Perfect, and 7 Days of Seduction.She is a PAN member of Romance Writers of
America as well as a member of Chesapeake Romance Writers. Her medieval
romance, Time Enough to Love, is being published as a series of three
novellas.The first book, Betrothal,
released on April 19th.The second
novella, Betrayal, will release at the end of January.

Jenna has been reading and
writing historical romance since she was a teenager.A romantic herself, she has always loved a
dark side to the genre, a twist, suspense, a surprise.She tries to incorporate all of these
elements into her own stories. She lives in Virginia with her family and a
small menagerie of pets.When not
reading or writing, she indulges her passion for the theatre, working with
local theatres as a director.She often
feels she is directing her characters on their own private stage.

She has equated her writing to an
addiction to chocolate because once she starts she just can’t stop.

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

After five long years of writing, editing, submissions, contracting, more editing...

AT LAST! My first novel Wicked Designs is out in the world for you wonderful readers to enjoy! I'm so excited to share it with you and I hope the story and the characters will move you!

Today is a day for Celebrations! I want to share so much about my book with all of you!

So what's Wicked Designs all about?

Here's the scoop:

The League of
Rogues takes what they want—but have they taken on too much?

For too long Miss Emily Parr has been subject to the
whims of her indebted uncle and the lecherous advances of his repulsive
business partner. Her plan to be done with dominating men forever is
simple—find herself a kind husband who will leave her to her books.

It seems an easy enough plan, until she is unexpectedly
abducted by an incorrigible duke who hides a wounded spirit behind flashing
green eyes.

Godric St. Laurent, Duke of Essex, spends countless nights
at the club with his four best friends, and relishes the rakish reputation
society has branded him with. He has no plans to marry anytime soon—if ever.
But when he kidnaps an embezzler’s niece, the difficult debutante’s blend of
sweetness and sharp tongue make him desperate for the one thing he swears he
never wanted: love.

Yet as they surrender to passion, danger lurks in Godric’s
shadowed past, waiting for him to drop his guard—and rob him of the woman he
can’t live without.

Warning: This novel includes a lady who refuses to stay
kidnapped, a devilish duke with a dark past, and an assortment of charming rogues
who have no idea what they’ve gotten themselves into.

Here's a little taste of the story...

Godric St. Laurent, the twelfth
Duke of Essex, leaned back in his saddle watching the abduction he’d
orchestrated unfold. Covering his mouth with a gloved hand, he stifled a yawn.
Things were going smoothly. In fact, this entire kidnapping bordered on the
point of tedious. They’d intercepted the coach ten minutes before it reached
Chessley House. No one witnessed the escort of riders or the driver changing
his route. Oddly enough, the young woman hadn’t shown any signs of resistance
or concern from inside the coach. Wouldn’t she have made some protestations
when she realized what was happening? A thought stopped him dead. Had she
somehow slipped out of the coach when they’d slowed on a corner before they’d
left town? Surely not, they would have seen her. Most likely she was too
terrified to do anything, hence the silence from inside. Not that she had
anything to fear, she would not be harmed.

He nodded to his friend Charles who
was perched next to the driver. A bag of coins jingled as Charles dropped it
into the jarvey’s waiting hands.

They had reached halfway point
between London and Godric’s ancestral estate. They would go the rest of the way
on horseback, with the girl sharing a horse with either him or one of his
friends. The driver would return to London with a message for Albert Parr and a
wild story that exonerated himself from blame.

“Ashton, stay here with me.” Godric
waved his friend over while the others rode the horses a good distance away to
wait for his signal. Abductions were tricky things, and having only himself and
one other man take hold of the girl would be better. She might have a fit of
hysterics if she saw the other three men too close.

He rode up to the coach, curious to
see whether the woman inside matched his memory. He’d seen her once before from
a window overlooking the gardens when he’d visited her uncle. She’d been
kneeling in the flowerbeds, her dress soiled as she weeded. A job more suited
to a servant than a lady of quality. He’d been ready to dismiss her from his
mind when she’d turned and glanced about the garden, a smudge of dirt on the
tip of her upturned nose. A butterfly from a nearby flower had fluttered above
her head. She hadn’t noticed it, even as it settled on her long, coiling auburn
hair. Something in his chest gave a funny little flip, and his body had stirred
with desire. Any other woman so innocent would not have caught his interest,
but he’d glimpsed a keenness in her eyes, a hidden intelligence as she dug into
the soil. Miss Emily Parr was different. And different was intriguing.

Ashton handed the driver the ransom
letter for Parr and took up a position near the front of the coach. Taking hold
of the door, Godric opened it up, waiting for the screaming to start.

None came.

“My deepest apologies, Miss Parr—”
Still no screaming. “Miss Parr?” Godric thrust his head into the coach.

It was empty. Not even a
fire-breathing dragon of a chaperone, not that he’d expected one. His sources
had assured him she would be alone tonight.

Godric looked over his shoulder.
“Ash? You’re sure this is Parr’s coach?”

“Of course. Why?” Ashton jumped off
his horse, marched over and thrust his head into the empty coach. He was silent
a long moment before he withdrew. Ashton put his finger against his lips and
motioned to the inside. A tuft of pink muslin peeped out from the wooden seat.
He gestured for Godric to step away from the coach.

Ashton lowered his voice. “It seems
that our little rabbit chase has turned into a fox hunt. She’s hidden in the
hollow space of the seat, clever girl.”

“Hiding under the seat?” Godric
shook his head, bewildered. He didn’t know one woman of his acquaintance who
would do something so clever. Perhaps Evangeline, but then if anything could be
said of that woman, it was that she was far from ordinary. A prickling of
excitement coursed through his veins, into his chest. He loved a challenge.

“She’ll come out soon enough. Allow
me.” Ashton walked back to the coach and called out to Godric in a carrying
voice. “Blast and damnation! She must have slipped out before we took charge of
the coach. Just leave it. We’ll take the driver back to London tomorrow.”
Ashton shut the door with a loud slam and motioned for Godric to join him.

“Now we wait,” Ashton whispered. He
indicated that he would guard the left coach door while Godric stationed
himself at the right.

Emily listened to the drum of
retreating hooves and silently counted to one hundred. Her heart jolted in her
chest as she considered what the men would do if they caught her. Highwaymen
could be cruel and murderous, especially if their quarry offered little. She
had no access to her father’s fortune, which left only her body.

I
must be brave. Fight them until I can
fight no more. With trembling hands, she pushed at the roof of the seat,
wincing as it popped open. Once she climbed out, she brushed dirt from her
gown, noticing some tears from the rough wood on the inside of the seat. But
the tears held no importance. All that mattered was survival.

Emily looked out the coach window.
Nothing stood out in the darkness. Only the faint glimmer of moonlight touched
the road with milky tendrils. Stars winked and flickered overhead, pale lights,
distant and cold. A shudder wracked her frame, and Emily hugged herself,
wanting so much to be at home. She missed her warm bed and her parents’ murmurs
from down the hall. It was a comfort she’d taken for granted. But she couldn’t
afford to think about them, not when she was in danger.

Were
the men truly gone? Could it really be this easy?

She opened the coach door, and
stepped down onto the dirt road. Strong arms locked about her waist and yanked
her backward. The collision with a hard body knocked the breath from her lungs.
Terror spiked her blood as she struggled against the arms that held her.

“Good evening, my darling,” a low voice
murmured.

Emily screamed once, before she bit
down on the hand that covered her mouth. She tasted the smooth leather of fine
riding gloves.

The man roared and nearly dropped
her. “Damn!”

Emily rammed an elbow backwards
into her attacker’s stomach and began to wrestle free until he grabbed her arm.
She swung about, striking him across the face with a balled fist. The man
staggered back, leaving her free to dive inside the coach.

If she could get to the other side
and run, she might stand a chance. She scrabbled towards the door, but never
made it. The devil surged into the coach after her. Turning to face him, she
was knocked flat onto her back.

She screamed again as his body
settled over hers.

The dim moonlight revealed his
bright eyes and strong features.

He caught her flailing wrists,
pinning them above her head. “Quiet!”

Emily wanted to rake his eyes out,
but the man was relentless. His hips ground against hers and panic drove her to
a new level of terror. Her fears of being forcibly taken surfaced as his warm
breath fanned over her face and neck. She shrieked, and he reared back away
from her, as though the sound confused him.

“I’m not going to hurt you.” His
voice vibrated with a low growl, ruining any promise his words might carry.

“You’re hurting me now!” She yanked
her arms uselessly against his hold.

The man eased off her somewhat, and
Emily took her chance. She tucked her knees up, and with all the power she
could summon, she kicked. Her attacker stumbled out the open door and fell onto
his back. Emily barely registered that he was winded before she turned and
exited the other side of the coach.

The moment she emerged, another man
lunged for her. To escape him, Emily fell back against the side of the coach.
Rather than grab her, he held his arms wide to keep her from slipping by him,
like he was corralling livestock.

“Easy, easy,” he purred.

Emily whipped her head to the left
and pleaded with her mind to think, but the man she’d bitten rounded the corner
and pounced, pinning her against the coach, his arms caging her in. His solid
muscular body towered over her. His jaw clenched as though one move from her
would trigger something dark and wild. Emily’s breath caught, and her heart
pounded violently against her ribs.

The man was panting and angry. The
intensity of his eyes mesmerized her, but the second he blinked, the spell
broke and she fought with every bit of strength she could muster.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY!! I'm so excited about Wicked Designs coming out that I'm offering three free books to three lucky people who subscribe to my newsletter! Go to my website http://www.laurensmithbooks.com and sign up for my newsletter. You'll be instantly entered for the drawing to win one of the three copies of Wicked Designs!

Sunday, January 5, 2014

Welcome to 8 Sentence Sunday!
Participating authors share 8 sentences from one of their books.

I want to share snippets from my upcoming release, a sexy Regency romance called Wicked Designs. the first in a new exciting series The League of Rogues.

Last week, Godric was orchestrating the abduction. This week, Emily, who has hidden in the empty bottom of a seat, has now emerged from her hiding spot. She thinks the coast is clear because she heard horses retreating.

Here goes this week's eight sentences!

Emily looked out the coach window. Nothing stood out in the
darkness. Only the faint glimmer of moonlight touched the road with milky
tendrils. Stars winked and flickered overhead, pale lights, distant and cold. A
shudder wracked her frame, and Emily hugged herself, wanting so much to be at
home. She missed her warm bed and her parents’ murmurs from down the hall. It
was a comfort she’d taken for granted. But she couldn’t afford to think about
them, not when she was in danger.

Blurb: For too long Miss Emily Parr has been subject to the whims of her indebted uncle and the lecherous advances of his repulsive business partner. Her plan to be done with dominating men forever is simple—find herself a kind husband who will leave her to her books.

It seems an easy enough plan, until she is unexpectedly abducted by an incorrigible duke who hides a wounded spirit behind flashing green eyes.

Godric St. Laurent, Duke of Essex, spends countless nights at the club with his four best friends, and relishes the rakish reputation society has branded him with. He has no plans to marry anytime soon—if ever. But when he kidnaps an embezzler’s niece, the difficult debutante’s blend of sweetness and sharp tongue make him desperate for the one thing he swears he never wanted: love.

Yet as they surrender to passion, danger lurks in Godric’s shadowed past, waiting for him to drop his guard—and rob him of the woman he can’t live without.

It's available January 7th!!!! Want to get your very own copy?

It's available for pre-order from Amazon,Barnes and Noble. For those of you who read pdfs or use other e-readers you can access the other formats from my publisher's website ebook store here at Samhain.

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Hey Readers!I've got a special treat for you today! Author Jenna Jaxon is showing off the cover for her brand new historical romance called Betrayal, the second in her medieval romance series. Check it out!

Pretty cool huh?

Betrayal comes out January 31, 2013. It's not up for purchase just yet, however...Jenna is offering two commenters on this blog a chance to win a copy!! So tell us what you think of the cover!

Want to have a taste of the book?

Blurb:

After a
night of passion with her betrothed, Sir Geoffrey Longford, Lady Alyse de
Courcy is eagerly looking forward to her wedding. But when Geoffrey is
forced to marry another, a heartbroken and possibly pregnant Alyse finds
herself in her own private hell. She must either gamble with her reputation or
marrysomeone she does not love.

A
reputed connoisseur of women, Thomas, Lord Braeton, has dallied with many
ladies of King Edward’s court, althoughhehas
favored none. However,as
Geoffrey’s best friend, Thomas has sworn to serve and protect Alyse, an
oath now sorely tested when he agrees to marry her—in name only—toguardher
reputation. Yet, as they grow closer, and Thomas discovers Alyse’s sweet but
spirited nature, he comes to desire a marriage in truth. Can he overcome
her memory of Geoffrey or is Thomas doomed to burn with passion for a woman he
can never possess?

Here's an excerpt:

Alyse’s
heart lurched at the sight of Thomas. She rose, trembling, and murmured, “Your
Highness,” but looked expectantly at Lord Braeton.

His eyes
met hers, distant and cool. Puzzled, she turned her attention to the princess,
who was herding her other women toward the door to her bedchamber.

“Lady
Maurya, Lady Anne, Margaret,” the princess beckoned them. “Lord Braeton would
have a moment with Lady Alyse. Would you attend me, please?” Princess Joanna
passed Alyse, caressing her arm as she led the confused women through the door.

At the
touch, Alyse sought the princess’s eyes.Fear gripped her heart at the pity she saw there.

“Thomas.”
Alyse curtsied quickly then blurted out the fear she had fought almost since
Geoffrey had left. “Is my lord well? Have you news for me?” Thanks to Anne and
Margaret’s thoughtless comments, she had become convinced Geoffrey had fallen
ill with Sir Robert’s ailment and now himself hovered between life and death.

Avoiding
her eyes, Thomas answered briefly. “Aye, my lady. When I left him, Geoffrey was
well enough.”

While
relieved at his words, a shadow still lay on her heart. If Geoffrey was not
ill, why had Thomas’s manner changed? What had summoned this aloof stranger? He
was withholding something from her.

“And Sir
Roland?”

He hesitated,
searching her eyes then looking away.He
fisted his hands.“Sir Roland is…has…”

Alyse
could stand it no longer. She crossed to stand directly before Thomas, laid a
cold hand upon his arm, and gripped it. “Tell me.”

The fact
that there was something he could not bring himself to tell her filled her with
terror. He said Geoffrey was well enough when he left. What about now?

Before she
could question him further, he drew out a folded piece of parchment, sealed
with blue wax and stamped with a signet ring bearing Geoffrey’s family crest.
She stared at it.

“Geoffrey
bade me place this in your hand and no other, my lady.” Thomas thrust the
missive toward her.

Alyse
compelled herself to hold her hand out .

He sighed.
“He also bade me be at your service, lady, had you need of anything.” He gave
the parchment into her hand. As he did so, she looked into his eyes and
recognized the same pity she had seen in Princess Joanna’s.

Panic made
her arms weak and her fingers numb. She forced her shaking hands to break the
seal. Alyse unfolded the letter and slowly read the scratched and blurry words.

* * * *

In her
bedchamber, Princess Joanna waited with Maurya, Anne, and Margaret. The women’s
faces had changed from puzzlement to fear. Joanna looked from one maid to
another, trying to hide her despondency. So many prayers had not been answered
today.

She got no
further before a wrenching wail of anguish shattered the hushed room, as though
the very walls echoed the sound. The four women stood rooted to the floor at
the almost inhuman shriek of grief.

The sound
cut off abruptly, and in the eerie silence that followed, they heard the soft
thud of a body hitting the floor.

ABOUT JENNA JAXON

Author
Bio:

Jenna Jaxon is a multi-published author of historical
and contemporary romance. She is currently working to release Betrayal at the end of January and finishing
revisions to her fifth full length novel,To
Woo A Wicked Widow, set in Regency England and the first book
in her five part series,The Widow’s Club.

Jenna has
been reading and writing historical romance since she was a teenager. A
romantic herself, she has always loved a dark side to the genre, a twist,
suspense, a surprise. She tries to incorporate all of these elements into
her own stories. She lives in Virginia
with her family and a small menagerie of pets. When not reading or
writing, she indulges her passion for the theatre, working with local theatres
as a director. She often feels she is directing her characters on their
own private stage.

She has
equated her writing to an addiction to chocolate because once she
starts she just can’t stop.